This session will focus on the ongoing evolution of climate change and other ESG considerations in the investment decision-making process. Trends in ESG index usage will be presented to highlight how the industry has moved towards adopting it as part of benchmarking. Asset managers must now consider the impact of climate change, and legal risk is increasingly becoming a pressure point. An interactive Q&A session will follow.

Liquid alternatives owe their rise to investor recoil from the market losses of 2008. Traditional investor return stream offerings by product providers are largely market determined, focusing on the upside potential and ignoring the risk of loss. Investors are seeking better control over their investment outcomes, and in the liquid alternatives space the focus has shifted from the magnitude of returns to the consistency of returns through the active management of downside risk. The liquid alternative outcome is thus a product of the manager’s skill rather than the caprice of the market. Andrew will discuss how liquid alternative offerings can deliver investment solutions to investor challenges by assessing the benefits of multi-asset investing and downside risk management.

Over the last few years, insurance-linked securities (ILS) have experienced significant growth and have become an accepted alternative asset class. Philippe will provide an overview of the ILS market and discuss buy side considerations for investing in the asset class.

The past 10 years have been a roller coaster for financial markets and the world economy. The financial crisis, the great recession, the drop in oil prices, wild currency fluctuations, and central banks cutting rates to almost zero, have made life more challenging for pension funds and insurance companies. This session will take a look at the current economic backdrop, and try to answer some of the following questions: How will the Chinese economy evolve and what will be its significance on the global scene? What are global demographic trends and how will they impact world markets? How will emerging and frontier markets develop and shape world fixed income and equity markets? Finally, what can investors expect in terms of future capital market returns and interest rate outlooks?

This panel discussion will focus on current issues and trends affecting investment strategy. Topics will include reassessing investment and Asset Liability Management (ALM) strategies for the current market environment, potential impacts from interest rate increases, and fixed income market liquidity.

New legislation in several jurisdictions is changing the pension landscape. Insurers are facing an uphill battle to adapt to evolving regulatory demands, and forthcoming changes in regulatory capital requirements will continue to press their resources. The investment implications of these changes will be examined.